Protection at all costs
by voice-of-an-angel-92530
Summary: The tortallan gang are going to Tusaine for peace delegation and Numair has been ordered by jonathan to protect Daine. But something in tusaine lurks to tear them apart DUN DUN DUN! rated T for violence later on.
1. The mission is given

Disclaimer: sadly non of these charcters are mine they belong to the all powerful tamora pierce

A/N set between EM and RotG don't have the books with me...sorry if I mess up

Chapter 1

Tortallan's top mage lay shirtless in bed doing what he normally did in excess. What he seemed to be paid to do. Think. But what he was thinking about wasn't the normal riff raff; it was about a brown haired blue-eyed wild mage. His wildmage, his student of three years.

A knocked sounded upon the door causing Numair to groan, "Numair?" a young voice called, "Numair if you're asleep you won't be for long!" Numair smiled at the irritated voice his student Veralidaine Sarrasri.

Numair rolled lazily out of bed landing onto the floor, "Ow MITHROS!" he cried as he landed. Rolling over he saw that he fallen onto a large book, groaning he tossed the book from underneath his back and scrambled to the door.

"Numair are you awake yet!" Daine called with a ferocious tone with a hint of playfulness. The six foot five mage creaked the large oak door open.

"I'm now." He replied with a devilish grin.

"_You_ should have been awake one HOUR ago Jon and the gang are waiting!" Numair cursed under his breath in thinking he lost track of time.

"I'll be a second." He called absently and offered Daine inside.

"Numair you know what you could do with," she called to him with full lips as he sulked into his dressing room.

"What?" he retorted

"Bookshelves, they could really do you well." She snickered as he waltzed out of his dressing room in a white shirt and black breeches and a smile plastered onto his face.

"Magelet as you see I do have some," he stated casually pointing to a disorganized shelf, "I just never, seem to use them." Daine shook her head in mock disgust. "Now common, we don't want to have them wait any longer."

"They wouldn't have to wait if you hadn't slept in." she chimed.

"Quite you!" he ordered with merry grin as they continued he added, "Any clue why Jonathan is calling us in the godsly hours of the morning?" he asked

"Well first of all I'd like to say it is past noon and he told you about the meeting last night." She replied elbowing him in the arm. He frowned thinking.

"Is it really noon?" he inquired. Daine laughed musically

"Yes Numair it has been noon for the past 30 minutes." They finally came to Jonathan's office. "Jonathan? I found him and lured him away from his books." She stated opening the door to show Jonathan, Thayet, Alanna, George, Gareth the younger and older, Onua and Raoul all seated around a large square conference table.

"Huzzah, Numair glad you could _finally_ join us." Jonathan said sarcastically, Numair replied shooting dagger glares at him.

"For your information I was working on an experiment for you milord." He replied raising an eyebrow, "You no the one I'm talking about don't you? Or should I say it again?" he finished devilishly. Jonathan stiffened.

"No need Master Salmalin." He paused looking at his colleagues. "Now may we _please_ continue I know that you all have very busy lives to lead."

"I don't think he recognized that very much before." Onua muttered as Numair took his seat beside her and gave a slight chuckle. Jonathan's meetings always took many long and tedious hours out of their days. Jonathan either not hearing the comment or choosing to ignore it went on.

"Thayet and I recently received a request from the King and Queen of Tusaine. They asked that we put together a peace delegation in light of the one we shared with Carthak." He paused momentarily glancing at Daine and Numair. They caught his sly stare and lowered their heads cheeks blushing a slight but noticeable crimson. "I have asked you all here because I think you would represent Tortal well-uh- despite other occurrences." This was the opportunity for everyone in the room to stare at the two mages causing them to blush. "Now I know we've had some trouble with Tusaine in the past but I hope that we will not bring that occurrence up. Alanna I'm specifically talking to you. Try not to bring up what happened when you were a squire. It could anger them"

"Oh my lord I would even _think_ of it" she replied with a mischievous grin. "When will we leave?"

"I'm just getting to that." Thayet said taking over, "You have a week to get things together, dresses and clothing to be made and so on. After that we set of by horse. We're there for peace and _not_ to tear the palace apart. Am I clear on that Daine?" Daine sunk lower and lower into her chair face completely red.

"I understand" she replied meekly.

"Now I'll let you go back to your jobs if you have any questions at all please come to Jonathan or me. Dismissed!" she commanded as everyone filed out of the room,

"Oh Numair. I'd like to speak with you now please." Jonathan ordered

"Aw just, like the little page late for his lesson." Gary sniggered

"Don't worry Numair, Gary knows exactly what your going through he did it all the time as a page!" Raoul jabbed in laughing as he and the rest of the group left and room.

"Please close the door Numair." He asked Numair sullenly called upon his black and white sparkled gift that gingerly closed the door, "Thank you. If you're wondering I'm not going to lecture you on being late…again. But this is on the matter of Daine." Numair stiffened as the topic was presented. Was Daine going to get in trouble because of her actions in Carthak? "Numair I don't trust these people. They've given us trouble in the past against my father" Jonathan's face briefly showed what looked like grief he continued, "They threatened us when I was still a green knight and still prince. I want you to look after Daine. She's still young and I'm not saying that she isn't bright, I know she is but she is still naive. What could seem like gentlemanly courtship could be a plot to take her over to their side. You saw what happened in Carthak. And I don't want it to happen again. She's too valuable and precious to us as a friend and a mage. I want you to protect her. It won't seem so bad if you do it versus someone like Gary doing it because I know that you two are close." Numair grimaced as he mentioned the closeness they shared. Jonathan stood up and Numair followed in suit._ Does he really think that Daine could come to harm. And what does he mean by "gentlemanly courtship"_ he thought with a frown.

"I want you to protect _yourself_ as well. We can't afford to loose you" he said smiling s he patted Numair on the back. "Remember Numair, I want you to protect her, at all costs." he said opening the door and showing Numair out.

**A/N I know it's horrible right. I think like a screenplay writer more than an author not enough desriptions to much talking ARG! And I bet everyone's wondering about this mystery experiment for his majesty MUAHAHAHAHA! I won't tell you till later. Flames please I want to improve! **


	2. Ruminations

Disclaimer: sadly I do not own Numair or any of the other characters Tamora Pierce thought of them before I was born

Ruminations

Numair walked out of the room to find the cause of Jonathan's worry walking slowly up and down the hallway thinking intently. "Don't you have anything better to do than wait for me?" he called to her she looked up, alert.

"I was just waiting for you cause I want to talk." She stopped

"About?" Numair prompted as he began to walk down the hall.

"Well about you, and about this trip. I'm not really sure that I should go. You saw what happened last time." she took in a deep breath and Numair saw her eyes begin to water. She looked up into his eyes and saw that they were deep brown and caring, "I'm just afraid that you might get hurt or something."

Numair chuckled, "Oh Daine I'm a grown man! I can take care of myself."

"Many would beg to differ," she mumbled under her breath.

"Now common Daine, I took care of myself last time. And this ruler isn't out for revenge…as far as I'm concerned."

"We never know that." She stated stubbornly

"Daine," he said turning her around and gently grasping her by the shoulders, "all I know is that you're very stubborn and you probably are going to deny what I'm about to say. But I'm saying it anyways. I'm a grown man I can take care of myself and have taken care of myself for a very long time. And if I can't for whatever reason there are many other highly capable people to take care of me you being one of them. Alright?" Daine sighed looking down at the floor and then up into his eyes. She all of a sudden felt something she had never felt for him. A tingling in her chest it went before she could find out what it was.

"Alright." She finally said succumbing to his antics, "You trust me that much?" Numair pulled her into a tight embrace and pulled away again realizing their positions.

"Daine, I trust you with my life. And many other people in the palace feel the same way that I do." Daine felt overwhelmed _I can't believe that I've made such an impact on these people. _

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Don't you worry about a thing. Remember I'm the black robe!" he cheered throwing his arms out in a flourish. Daine laughed and gave him a small punch to the stomach. "OW!" he cried doubling over on his abdomen in mock pain.

"Oh come on Numair it doesn't hurt that much! You say you can protect yourself I punch you and you double over!" she said trying to speak with out laughing.

"Well magelet you don't know your own strength." He replied, "Anyway I was joking! I'm much stronger than you think!" he stated flexing his muscles. Daine shook her head in pretend disgust smiling the whole time shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.

"Common Onua said she wanted to talk to you after your lecture." She said, "What did he say anyways. I didn't hear his usually screaming and, 'How many times have I told you to BE ON TIME! If it weren't for us I swear you'd be in the blessed room of your all day long! You must learn to keep track of time Numair. Your nearly thirty year old and you are still late for meetings!' Or something in the realms of that." She stated imitating Jonathan's bellow.

"Well it's hard keeping track of time if _he's_ constantly putting me to work!" he defended himself as they walked down the stairs leading out doors.

"Well I think he has an excuse to get mad at you. You've done some weird experiments even with him asking. Need I go to the subject of the exploding oven?"

"For _your_ information it imploded not exploded. And…" he paused looking for an excuse, "It wasn't a very good oven anyways."

"Well it was his oven anyhow. And half the kitchen staff either attempted to quit or attempted to get you fired." She added poking him in the arm.

"Well who cares they got a new oven. Silly cooks they never even liked me in the first place!" he retorted as they stepped outside. The weather was warm for October and the colors of autumn were gently settling into place. Daine and Numair pushed through a large group of leaves as they continued over to the stables.

"What did Jonathan say anyways was it the same ol' same ol'?" she questioned curiously. Numair thought before he answered _Daine would be fair angry if she found out that Jon thought she couldn't take care of herself._

"No he just wanted to check up on an assignment I'm working on for him." He responded. _Not the whole truth but not a whole lie._ He thought with satisfaction. He hated lying to her.

"Oh ya I heard you talking about some assignment when you walked into the meeting. What was that about?"

"I'm not at liberty to say I'm afraid." He responded smiling.

"Ah Numair you _know_ you can tell me!" she pleaded.

"Nope sorry magelet, a promise is a promise!" Daine sighed in exasperation. Numair simply grinned in return as he opened the stable office door for Daine. "M'lady" he said gesturing her in with an exaggerated bow. She shook her head and walked in. Onua sat at her desk making notes on yellow parchment.

"Ah Numair have any fun getting reamed out by his majesty? Tea in the kettle it you want it, mugs over there." she joked pointing haphazardly around the room.

"If you want to know he was just checking up on an assignment. But now that both of you have spoken of it I'm surprised he didn't even speak about me being late." he responded, "What are you writing?" Numair asked glancing over to her papers on the desk.

"Well I'm making a list of questions an agreements I'd like to make while we're there. Jonathan said it'd be a good idea. Maybe you two should do it." She said a she blew on her steaming mug of tea. Numair got up and poured a cup for him and Daine and brought it over to where they sat.

"I don't think I'll be needing that I'm not important enough to make any big decisions." Daine sullenly stated taking a sip of the tea, "I'm not even sure why I'm going."

"Are you kidding? You're the Wild mage!" Onua gasped

"_You're _because personally I think he wants to show you what they'd be up against if they decided to do anything." He paused, "Also the fact that you're my student and I'm still teaching you." Onua nodded in agreement with a grin slipping into her face.

"Ya I'm not sure whether Numair could live with out you Daine." She retorted. Numair blushed furiously under his tan trying fiercely to keep his demeanor.

"Onua that's enough." He responded gritting his teeth shooting death glares. Onua being a bright woman got the idea and shut up.

They talked until dinner. "Well ladies I believe it is time for dinner if you will do me the honors of escorting me." He said with a gentlemanly grin.

"Oh give it up Numair I'm surprised you even realized it was supper. Then again a man can become observant when he's hungry." Onua replied causing Daine to laugh. They all left and walked to dinner together.


End file.
